There's Fate In Coincidence
by kkuroshii
Summary: What if Luffy and Sabo's reunion happened on accident? While Sabo was undercover as a waiter? This is a story of an alternate timeline where the strawhats accidently run into Sabo while he's on a mission for the Revolutionary Army.
1. Chapter 1

_"__Saaaaaaannnnnnjjjjjiiiiiii!" _

"No."

"_Saaaaaaannnnnnjjjjjiiiiiii!"_

"Damn it Luffy! Fine. Whatever. We'll all go to a fancy restaurant tonight, just _be quiet._" This last statement is accompanied by a light slap to Luffy's head before Sanji turns away. He leaves the captain where he's standing, walking away towards the galley. Those on the deck around him hear him muttering to himself as he stomped back over to his kitchen. Small mutterings of _Shit captain, all that trouble _and _big meal for nothing, _could be heard from the put-out cook_._ Zoro snorts softly, amused by the interaction and Sanji's clear annoyance. Luffy had been begging Sanji to give up making dinner tonight in place of them all going to a restaurant together. The island that they were currently pulling in to the harbor of is -according to Robin- very well known for its many five star restaurants. Of course Luffy is all over the idea because 1. Food 2. _Really_ good food 3. Spending time with everyone together (as though everyday wasn't spent cooped up on the same ship together) and 4. Food. Sanji is always adamant about being the crews chef and making most of their meals, all if he had his way. As such he was fairly against the idea, having already planned a large banquet for the night as it was there first time docking in about a week. He'd been rather into his preparations and had protested loudly the second Luffy had declared the idea. But Luffy's incessant pleading and the thought of Robin and Nami in fancy dining clothes eventually wore him down.

"Yahoo!" Came Luffy's victory shout not seconds later. "Everyone! We're going to eat at a fancy place tonight!" Usopp and Chopper quickly joined the cheers, leaving Nami to hit them all over the heads. _Be quieter you're drawing attention to us!_

Zoro didn't really care about the prospect of eating at a famous place. Love cook's shit food or some million dollar plate didn't really matter to him as long as he ate. He closed his eyes again and let the bickering of his crewmates fade into background noise.

It didn't take long for them to dock at the harbor and almost lose crew mates to the lure of the town. From the ship they could see several large and fairly luxurious looking buildings that they could only assume were the famous eateries, their glow catching the eye of even Zoro, who looked on with a detached sort of interest. Luffy had even been one foot off the ship before Nami grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him back on the deck by the others.

"Ok listen up!" She yelled, commanding everyone's attention on her rather than the new island after waiting for Luffy to stop bouncing. "Before any of you fools leave we need to set a time to meet back up so we can go to the restaurant together." She turned abruptly in his direction and glared directly at Zoro. "Preferably earlier than our reservation because I get the feeling some of us will be late."

"Why'd you look at me when you said that."

"Because you don't have the best track record of being on time what with your lack of sense of direction and all."

"Oi-"

"Pick a time already I want to explore!" Luffy's impatient shout cuts off the jab Zoro was about to aim at Nami and refocuses their attention on their original goal. Sanji takes a moment to slip a cigarette out of his coat and light it, taking a slow drag before speaking.

"I called one of the more popular places here while we were docking, The Fantaisie, and got us a rather expensive reservation for 7." He steals a quick glance at Nami. "So I'm thinking we meet up at 6:40 back at the ship, it's close to an 8 minute walk to the restaurant from here." He shrugs and Nami sighs and returns it.

"6:40 sounds fine to me. Hear that everyone! Meet back here at 6:40 or you owe me a 100,000 beri late fee!"

"Yahoo!" Not two seconds after she finished talking Luffy was over the side and on the ground running towards the town. Knowing that Luffy probably hadn't listened to word she said, Nami sighs in defeat before turning to face Zoro.

"You. Go with him." Zoro is about to protest that he was on Luffy duty the past two days (although that was due to the fact that Luffy's energy levels steadily increase the longer he's stuck on the ship and they'd been sailing on the Sunny for over a week. The crew found out fairly fast that their regular methods of distracting him didn't work as well after that period of time, with of course the exception of Zoro, who seemed to be able to reign him in no matter their sailing time.) before he stops and reconsiders. He thinks back to Sanji's nervous face when he mentioned the _expensive_ reservation and decided it's worth it to keep her in a decent mood until she can see the bill later tonight, so he leaps off the ship to follow his captain without protest, save for a quick glare that was returned with a tongue stuck out in his direction. Shaking his head, he sets off after his excited captain.

They walk around town for a few hours having docked around 3:30. Luffy seems to find each individual food stand -which Zoro thinks are all almost identical- absolutely entertaining and stops at pretty much every one. Normally he'd be annoyed, but seeing Luffy's excited expression and feeling his smaller hand in his as Luffy pulls him along to show him the different foods that interest him the most, makes Zoro smile a little and forget his complaints. It's about twenty minutes away from their meeting time when Luffy's excited dashing around comes to a stop abruptly, surprising Zoro and making him crash into Luffy's back. They both go down in a heap of limbs, rolling a couple feet across the pavement before they calm down enough to detangle themselves. As soon as his limbs are free, and before Zoro can help him up, Luffy shoots to his feet, head turning and eyes blown wide. Confused Zoro is about to ask what made him come to such a sudden stop before he turned in the direction Luffy was facing and was thoroughly distracted. In front of the two of them stood a massive building, covered in windows that gave glimpses of the gold walls and sparkling chandeliers inside. Above the gilded double doors of the building that sat above the red carpeted steps leading up to the structure (how did they maintain carpet outside?) was a giant sign, golden letters sparkling in the sun. _The Fantaisie. _That was the restaurant Sanji had mentioned earlier wasn't it? Zoro wasn't exactly known for having the best memory but he was pretty sure that was it. He let out a low whistle, still taking in the grandeur of the building.

"That place'll give the witch a heart attack." Luffy didn't respond. Zoro frowned. Sure the building was impressive but it wasn't _that_ impressive, not on a level high enough to make Luffy incapable of speech. Adding to that Luffy's expression wasn't his usual for admiring the things he found amazing. There were no stars in his eyes as he looked at the building, only what seemed like… confusion? He couldn't really read the expression on his captains face as he stared at the building in front of them. Wait, when Zoro looked closer he saw Luffy wasn't staring at the building at all, but rather a man who was traveling up the crimson steps. There weren't many defining features other than a top hat that Zoro could make out before he disappeared into the golden doors, tails of his coat swishing as he turned to slide through the gap, and was out of sight.

"Luffy….?" He begins, unsure what to ask. Seemingly shaken out of his reverie Luffy turned to face Zoro, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"I-It's nothing. I just thought… I just thought I saw…" He shakes his head again. "Aah! I'm hungry! Let's go back to the ship Zoro!"

Zoro frowns, half because Luffy has done nothing but eat since they got to the town and half because of the lingering uneasiness he felt when he saw Luffy pause. Who could he have possibly thought he had seen to make him stop like that? He looked as though he had seen a ghost...no, nope. He was not going there. Zoro gives his head a quick shake similar to the few Luffy had just done and sets off into the crowd after his captain. Together they wove through the merchants and islanders and made their way back to the Sunny.

Back at the restaurant a man hides in the shadows of an overly decorated hallway. Honestly with all the nooks and crannies to hide in they should have better security, what with the vast amount of money they've got funding the place. It was fortunate though, for the shadowed man who waited, watching the empty corridor. Suddenly he tensed, and not seconds later an employee opened a door further down, the opening shedding golden light into the shadows, illuminating a shape of the door on the gold floor. The employee steps out and turns, closing the door behind him. As he walks closer to the man in the shadows it's clear he's leaving for the night, coat in his arms, and a cigarette in his hands, waiting for when he reaches the night air. The employee does not notice the person lurking behind the velvet curtains framing the ornately framed painting in the hall. There's no time to react before there's a sudden flash and a metal pipe is connecting with his skull. He begins to fall to the floor and his attacker catches him, easing him to the ground so as not to make unnecessary noise. One the unconscious worker is on the ground, the man with the pipe assesses his victim. The man on the floor was wearing black pants and dress shoes, with a long sleeved white shirt and a black button up vest over the top, complete with a small black bow tie around his neck. The man grins and tips his hat down over his eyes. A waiter. _Perfect. _He casts a quick glance at the clock, noting the time -6:40- and considers the unconscious man on the floor in front of him for a moment, before dragging him into the supply closet next to him. Ignoring the den den mushi that begins to ring from with in his pocket he lets go of the waiter, turns, and closes the door, leaving the hallway empty of people once again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Luffy…"

"No."

"Luffy come on."

"No!"

"Luffy!"

"NO!"

"LUFFY!"

For the past approximately 9 minutes and 50… 5 seconds now Zoro had been watching the shouting match. In the ring were Nami and Luffy, the former red faced and shouting, while the latter ran from her, bare chested with his red vest in his hand, trailing behind him. Zoro couldn't help but compare the chase going on around him to a bull fighting match, Nami the bull and Luffy the bullfighter, flash his red vest as he twisted around dodging Nami's furious grabs for him. In Nami's hands being swung around as she chases her idiot captain around the deck, is a black tux and a red dress shirt. When Zoro and Luffy had made it back to the ship everyone else had already beat them there, the crew getting ready for their outing to the restaurant. Luffy had, much to Nami's chagrin, gone to the boys room, put on one of his many red cardigans- albeit a clean one so he deserves some credit- and returned to the deck, declaring he was ready. The declaration was of course accompanied by a quick slap to head by their navigator and a loud shout.

"I knew this was going to happen," she said frowning down at Luffy who had been sitting on the ground clutching his head. "So I came prepared." She walks back into the ship quickly, leaving Luffy and those on deck to look after her curiously, before she returned, a large shopping bag in her hand. "So I bought you this!" With a large flourish she slides a black tux out of the bag, accompanied by a red dress shirt and black tie. She practically shines with pride at her forethought as Luffy stares at her in confusion.

"What's the fancy suit for."

"You."

"Ehhhhhhh!" Nami smirks.

"I know you're a fool Luffy and wouldn't have anything to wear prepared for tonight, so I bought you something myself. This is the only fancy place we'll be to for a long while and I'll be damned if we don't look the part." She glances at Luffy on the floor, expression darkening and smile twisting. "You'll pay me back in full of course. Plus an increased interest fee." Immediately the captain's expression pales, and his hands reaching behind him as he scrambles away from Nami's dark smirk. Sensing his impending escape she makes a run at him, hands reaching and suit clasped between her fingers. Yelping Luffy stands up fully and bolts, taking off around the ship and inciting the chase that had been taking place for the past ten minutes.

Knowing the witch'll get her way in the end, Zoro was content to sit down and watch the fight from his place by the railing, having given up fighting her insistence on formal wear already. Robin emerges from the deck and it becomes clear that's the deciding factor in the clothes battle as Luffy stops suddenly, sandals skidding slightly on the wood. The rest of the crew look on in mild amusement with various expressions of fondness on their faces while Luffy breaks out into his iconic loud laughter as arms sprout from his sides and begin to tickle him. Robin gives her usual small smile as he tips over, shaking with loud guffaws and more arms sprout from the deck and roll him over to Nami, who doesn't hesitate even a second before firmly grasping one of his ankles and dragging him into the ship and slamming the door behind her.

The rest of the crew sit in silence, but it doesn't take long before Nami emerges from the doorway, practically shining with triumph. Whatever doubts the rest of the crew had about her forcing their stubborn captain into a suit faded away quickly in the face of her smug countenance. More than one strawhat looks to the door in anticipation, and for a few minutes, wonder if she really had killed Luffy. Their slight worries for unfounded of course as Luffy soon bursts out of the ship with his usual energy and shouts for meat. His jacket is open and hanging off of his shoulders, and his tie is undone and barely around his neck, but it's clear Nami's run out of patience and she's done dealing with him for now. He looks good in a suit, Zoro thinks to himself, attempting to drown out Sanji's shouts of praise to Nami for her 'hard work'. Of course it's not the first time he's seen Luffy dressed up, but it is the first time that it hasn't been for battle. Ignoring the ominous implications of that thought he stands up, heading over to Luffy.

"Ready to go Captain?" Luffy turns to him and grins.

"I've been ready for a while Zoro!"

"Funny, didn't really look like it before." Luffy wrinkles his nose at the reminder of his battle with Nami, clearly not enjoying reminiscing about whatever had happened in the ship.

"Well I thought I was but Nami said I wasn't- even though I was!- so she made me wear this stupid suit." The last part is accompanied by Luffy flapping his jacket, as though shaking it some will make it disappear. He gives his captain a small smile and reaches over to fix his lapel and straighten his jacket which was once again skewed on his shoulders. Luffy leans forward obediently, letting Zoro fix the various issues with his clothes. Giving his tie one last tug after tying it, Zoro looks at Luffy and nods in the direction of the island. Luffy grins widely at him and together they turn to face the rest of the crew. "Alright everyone!" His resounding shout calls their collective attention back to him and off of whatever squabbles they'd been having (Nami had violently hit an overly affectionate Sanji, who had been flung to the deck. Usopp had laughed which had angered Sanji who kicked him into Franky, who also got mad and attempted a swing at Usopp, but he had run out of the way already so instead he punched Brook. So of course chaos ensued. They normally wouldn't be pulled into a big match like that, but over a week on the ship with no stops does that to even the best of crews.)

"Let's go eat fancy food!"

"Yeah!" And so the strawhats set out for their outing only 8 minutes behind schedule.

* * *

Sabo straightened his bowtie and swept his hands over his shirt quickly, smoothing wrinkles and clearing it of any residual dust from it being on the floor. Only then did he answer the transponder snail that had been ringing for the past ten minutes.

"Yo."

"Sabo."

"Koala."

"..." Oh boy. He definitely was going to get an earful when they rendezvoused after his infiltration. Her silence was never a good thing, it meant she passed her sarcastic mad stage, her angry mad stage, and went straight to her rage calm. So basically he was dead. Nice.

"15 minutes Sabo."

"Uuummmmm…"

"You left me calling you for 15 minutes."

"..."

"We are going to have a serious chat when you get back to camp."

"Anger aside Koala what were you calling about." There was a loud sigh on the other end of the line and Sabo could practically see her rubbing her temples in exasperation.

"Right. We just got word from Hack that the arms deal should be taking place at your location at some point today or possibly tonight. We need you to keep an eye on the staff and any suspicious persons entering the restaurant." He nodded with her words, most of that was in his briefing so the information wasn't exactly new. It was a pretty standard job as far as jobs in the Revolutionary Army go, just a basic underground arms deal that they needed to intercept. The prevention of the deal of weapons was good, as they got a tip that they'd be heading to a kingdom that was fighting against another that they were supporting, but they had also gotten word that one of the people in the transaction had close ties with a lead black market dealer that they'd been trying to catch for years. So if they got lucky and the info was right, it'd be hitting two birds with one stone.

"Oh and Sabo."

"What."

"I heard some people on the street saying that there was a pirate crew docked on the island somewhere." Pirates? Not too bad of a problem, but they always had a habit of stirring up trouble and interrupting revolutionary jobs.

"Any idea who?"

"No, but judging from some of the reactions, I think they're pretty big name." Great. Pirates themselves were one thing, a heavy hitter was another. Now it was practically guaranteed that there would be an incident soon, no island escapes a visit with pirates without one.

"Alright, I keep a lookout and if things get wild we'll ditch the deal and rendezvous at camp. From there we'll assess necessary measures."

"Right. Good luck Sabo." He smiled softly.

"Like I need it." There was a short laugh and then,

"Don't think you're off the hook." Click. Tucking the transponder snail in his pocket he prepares to slide out of the closet. A quick peek out the door reveals an empty hallway, so he slips through the opening and closing it silently. Trying to remember the map of the restaurant lay out Koala had him study he makes his way towards where he believes the kitchen is. Though the hallways are all identical and confusing, it doesn't take long for Sabo to find it. It's the only source of noise around and Sabo realizes it must have another door inside that leads directly to the seating area so the waiters don't have to navigate these halls. Pulling his hair into his face on the left side to cover his scar and smoothing it back on the right, he double checks his appearance. Satisfied he looks like a proper waiter, he plasters a bland smile on his face and walks into the kitchen, hoping he's suited for customer service.

* * *

The walk to the restaurant is quick, shorter than expected. That, of course, is partly due to the fact that Luffy is practically running in excitement, arm looped around Usopp who stumbles alongside him, halfheartedly cheering with him as he focuses on not face planting into the sidewalk. The rest of the crew are more leisurely, taking in the sights of the grand restaurants as they pass by. The whole island is elegant, covered in buildings of grandeur and housing the most exquisite variety of cuisines. It sparks the interest of everyone on the crew, an stirs excitement and speculation about what their restaurant will be like.

Their restaurant, The Fantaisie , certainly fits expectations. It's gilded outside commands attention from everyone who passes by, its many windows teasing the sights of crystal chandeliers and the golden rooms within. Zoro and Luffy, despite having seen it once already, are still taken aback by the sight of it practically glowing in the dimming sunlight. Excitement kicked up a notch, Luffy gives a loud excited shout before taking off up the red carpeted steps.

"Somebody grab that idiot." At Nami's command Franky reaches out and grabs the back of Luffy's jacket, letting him hang in the air until he realizes he's not moving forward anymore.

"Hang on Luffy bro, Nami's got some rules." Luffy pouts silently and crosses his arms, still hanging and spinning slightly in Franky's grip. Grinning when he's certain the strawhat captain isn't going to take off, the cyborg sets him back down.

"Now before all of you idiots go running in there making fools of us, we have to lay some ground rules." Nami levels them all with a glare before continuing. "This is a high class place so if we stir up trouble we'll get kicked out. That means you won't get food Luffy." Ignoring his shout of annoyance, she continues. "Rule number one: eat relatively neatly. I won't ask for completely decent because clearly that'd be too much to ask. Rule two: Be quieter to maintain the societal expectations of public behavior and to not call attention to us. Last rule, Rule number 3:-the most important of all-no fighting. At all."

Zoro's scoff and Luffy's whining were quick to follow the last rule.

"None at all Nami?"

"None."

"Really? Really none? Naaaaaammiiiiiiii."

"Luffy if you fight, you get kicked out, you get kicked out you can't eat meat." That did the trick. Luffy's face sobered up immediately and he turned to face the crew, face solemn.

"Hear that everyone? No fighting!" The strawhats all give their captain a quick nod of confirmation. Satisfied, Luffy puts his hands on his hips.

"Alright everyone, it's food time!" Various shouts and smiles follow him as he turned back to the restaurant, heads up the red carpet steps, and into the gilded building.


	3. Chapter 3

After several minutes spent gawking at the interior of the restaurant, the strawhats allow themselves to be lead among the white clothed tables, around golden corners, and below crystalline chandeliers to the table that was specifically reserved for them. They pass through at least three large rooms full of guests before they finally reached their own place. If the staff knew they were pirates, they showed no sign of agitation at their presence, and from that they could conclude that it wasn't the first time a big name pirate group has shown up as patrons. The crew find themselves at a booth in the far corner of this particular room, sitting down at the second to last table in the row. The cushioned booth sits perpendicular to the wall, wall being a generous term as it seemed to actually be made of mostly windows, and five strawhats sit on one side and four on the other. It was also decently close to the entrance to the kitchen, which was not very good for Luffy's attention span but they managed. On one side, closer to the door, sat (in order from the window out) Franky, Sanji, Robin, Chopper, and then Zoro. Opposite them sat Brook, Usopp, Nami, and Luffy on the end.

Luffy and Zoro were often on the ends, though the crew had differing opinions as to why. They felt as Captain and Vice Captain respectively, they should be the first to receive confrontation due to the fact that when they sit like this in restaurants they're mostly cornered in. What they didn't know, however, is that the others put them on the end because Luffy is rather enthusiastic in restaurants and conversation. Having nine people that always want to eat together means that they're often short on room, most of them sitting shoulder to shoulder, arms pressed against each other. This lack of room paired with Luffy's wild hand motions never goes well. They've learned that the hard way. His arm motions quickly become too much to endure for those around him and being on the end gives him more room to gesticulate. Zoro is there too, either to calm him down or catch him when he's about to run off. For either purpose, it works just as well.

The pirates settle down quickly, with only a bit of squabbling over seats. The waiter comes fast, face a mask of calm as he adeptly avoids Luffy's calls for meat and ignores the physical abuse Nami delivers to his head shortly thereafter. Drinks ordered, they now look to each other for entertainment. Out of forced habit, Nami requested a kids menu for Luffy so he could color, which helps distract Usopp and Chopper too. She's usually pretty desperate to keep him under control at places like these, his attention span isn't very long while their waiting. Unfortunately for her, restaurants are built around waiting, so through trial and error Nami has discovered ways to keep him busy, which indirectly calms the rest of the crew down. The rest make attempts at casual conversation.

"Ah Robin, do you want to go shopping with me tomorrow? I thought I saw some rather high class shops farther down the road from here." Robin smiles and sips her drink.

"I think I'd enjoy that. I've been needing a new sun hat."

"Oh that's right. Your last one started on fire in that Navy attack a few days ago… Hey speaking of that! I need another set of sandals because-" The rest of their conversation mostly follows along those lines, delving into the list of things that need to be replaced clothing wise, expanding from just them to the rest of the crew.

"Oi Nami do you think you-"

"I'll give you 100,000 with a 50 per hour interest fee."

"Damn witch."

"What was that shitty marino?"

"Are you starting a fight crap cook?" Chopper looks terrified as Zoro and Sanji lean across him and Robin in order to get in each others faces and insult each other. Robin just simply leans back as she casually continues her conversation with Nami. Nami ducks her head slightly so she can see Robin's face between Zoro and Sanji's snarling ones and their talk continues as though nothing is happening. A hand pops out of the table and catches a water glass as it starts to lean over the edge, bumped by Zoro's elbow.

On the end of the table closest to the window, Franky and Brook talk, discussing the wood carpentry shop they had passed on the way over.

"They had some suuuper pieces of wood in the workshop."

"Yes and the craftsmanship of the violins in the window was exquisite. Maybe we should check it out tomorrow Franky-san."

"Ow! That's be super Brook! I can collect some wood for a project I've been working on!"

"Yohohoho! I wonder if they have any good acoustic guitars? I've been meaning to find one… Ah! Nami-san! If I serenade you with an acoustic guitar will you show me-" He's cut off as Nami arm quickly slams into the back of his head, and his face smashes into the table. Not even turning her head to face him, Nami and Robin's chat suffers no interruption.

Across the table Usopp offers critiques to Luffy's bright pink and green spotted whale that he's been coloring.

"Pink and green are interesting colors for a whale Luffy."

"I dunno, he just seemed like a pink and green kind of guy."

"Funny you should pick that color scheme, because once when I was eight I was sailing on a stormy night, when suddenly I encountered….."

Aimless chatter fills the air as an easy feeling settles over the crew. They chat with one another like that, barely containing their normal boisterous energy, discussing the island and the various things and people they've seen. Luffy's laughter at Usopp's stories begins to reach his outside volume, though to be fair his usual volume is the usual person's outside, and Robin steps in and suggests they play a game.

"What kind Robin?"

"Oh oh! A game! Yes! Usopp I'll beat you!"

"We don't even know what we're playing yet Luffy… But I used to be called the master of it! My opponents would tremble in fear of my skill!"

"There will be only one winner and it'll be me." Chopper looks at Zoro and then at Sanji, who perked up at Zoro's declaration and leans back a little in his seat again.

"Only one winner? You?" Sanji laughs quickly and leans closer across Robin. "Only if you don't get lost before we finish explaining the rules." He gestures his thumb at himself and declares, "The winner obviously, will be me."

"Oi, shit cook, you-"

"No Sanji I'll win-"

"-think you can beat the master-"

"-alright dartboard move-"

"-be game King! Don't-"

Unfortunately Robin's plan backfires, only managing to incite a new fight between half of the table, fueled by high energies and tensions after their most recent long voyage. In the midst of the argument the waiter reappears, and quickly pales at the scene before him. He looks like he's backing away slowly, and that's enough to spur Nami into action. Four hard slaps later and those involved in the squabble are back in their seats, hands in their laps. She huffs lightly and Robin lets out a light laugh at the display.

Being on the end, the anxious waiter turns to Luffy first and cautiously asks for his order.

"And what'll you have today sir?"

"Meat!" Nami grabs his arm quickly, shaking her head.

"Luffy! Be more specific, meat is too general of a term. What kind of meat?" Luffy lifts a hand to his chin and purses his lips, clearly thinking hard. Behind him Nami sighs. She knows his mind is so focused on meat that he'll think but his mind will eventually always come to one conclusion. It always does.

"All of it?" He tries and she pats his head. Apologetically she looks up at the waiter.

"We'll take whatever kind of meat you feel like bringing out."

"E-excuse me?"

The rest of their orders go about the same way, Zoro's being too general ('whatever' is not on the menu Zoro!) and Sanji's being too specific (s-sir I've never heard of that before…). By the end of it, the waiters cool and indifferent facade had worn down and he looked like he was ready to run at any moment.

"Will that be all?" He looks around the table at them all, and they nod unanimously. "Alright…" he sighs and they just barely catch the 'finally' that he murmurs under his breath. No one points it out.

"I'm sorry folks but my shift ends in a few minutes so another server will be bringing out your meals. Please enjoy the rest of your evening." With that he walks away, moving so fast he's practically running, bolting between the tables and through the double doors that lead to the kitchen. Luffy looks after him for a moment before turning to the rest of the strawhats.

"What was his problem?" Their collective sigh only confuses him more.

Sabo's too busy snooping around the kitchen to notice the man at first.

"-cuse me? Excuse me?" Starting, Sabo turns around, trying to nonchalantly lean against the counter to seem like he hadn't been doing anything suspicious. Unfortunately in doing so he puts his hand in a small puddle of marinara that had been split across the gray counter. Blanching he jumps up again, wiping his hand on his apron.

"I, uh, hate to interrupt this…" He gestures at Sabo while he's still frantically wiping his hand in his previously pristine apron, leaving long red stains across the side. "Whatever you're doing, but I'm ending my shift early. I've earned the over time and-" The man pauses once to shudder. "The table I'm supposed to be serving now is a wild bunch. It was busy today you know? I've been stressed all day covering extra tables and just when I think it calms down…."

Sabo really has no idea what the man is talking about, and doesn't exactly care to listen. However, his role as part of the restaurant staff is to act like he's one of them so he nods listlessly, eyes wandering around the room.

"-anyway could you cover table 56 out there? I think that lot is a pirate crew and I don't think they'll take well to waiting for a new server to get in." Now that caught Sabo's attention. Were they the pirate crew that Koala mentioned earlier? Their sudden arrival at the same restaurant he was infiltrating couldn't be a coincidence… Is it possible that they're involved in the arms deal? Realizing that the other waiter in front of him was still waiting for an answer Sabo quickly agrees to serve the table. Slumping in visible relief, the man begins to untie his apron and walks out into the hallway that Sabo had previously been in, presumably to grab his things and leave as soon as he was able.

Finally given something to do, Sabo makes his way to the front of the kitchen where the other waiters were, all lined up and waiting to receive plates for the many tables they've taken the orders of. Sabo slides into the line and waits for… what number was it? Oh 56. He waits for the call of number 56 and ponders his plan of action. Well not action exactly, more like plan of observation. (Koala would throw a fit if he decided to take any action on his own without consulting her first.) He'll walk out with the food and focus his attention anywhere he could until he reaches the table. When handing out the pirate groups food he'll have plenty of time to analyze them, so he decides to utilize his walking time for observation. Sabo already memorized the floor plan of the restaurant, so he won't have to look for the pirates at table 56, he'll just be able to head straight there. Secretly he hopes that it isn't that famous of a pirate group. The more famous ones usually keep tabs on the news more than lesser known ones, and thus were more likely to have seen his face. He could use a good brawl though, so he wouldn't be that mad.

"Order up! Table 56!" Oh that was him. Sabo steps forward and grabs two large trays, picking up the individual meals and placing them on each tray, five on one side and four on the other. He also grabs the order sheet that the original waiter made so he could review the dishes. Walking out to the doors leading to the main room of the restaurant, he laughs a little at the ridiculous orders on the sheet. Who the hell just orders 'whatever' at a five star restaurant? Bold bastard.

Once he's through the doors, he stops, mind going into mission mode. Ok, from his study of the table plans in three tables forward and two to the left he'll reach 56, so Sabo watches the tables out of the corner of his eye while he focuses most of his attention elsewhere. He scours the room as quickly as he can while still taking in small details. There's a lady over there in the corner who looks like her date ditched her, she's crying her eyes out over an expensive looking bottle of wine, there's a group of men on the other side who seem to be having a bachelor party, in the middle is an old couple with roses in the middle of their table, which should be romantic if it weren't for the fact that they were glaring at each other.

Sabo analyzes as many people as he can before coming up behind his designated table. It's a booth and he's approaching from an angle so he can only see half of one side of the patrons. The rest of the guests are obscured by the wall that separates said booth. He's practically at the table now, so he focuses on the few he can see. The only person that's really in his sight line is a muscular green haired man, who's currently turned to side and speaking angrily to another at the table. The man scoffs at something said by someone else and turns more towards the direction Sabo is in. The man makes eye contact with Sabo, and something in his mind clicks. The green hair. The three earrings. The missing eye. He's seen him before… wait isn't that-

"Oi, food's here." The man's call to his party cuts off Sabo's mental revelation and catches the attention of the remainder of the guests.

"About damn time." Comes a gruff response from someone he can't see. It's quickly followed by a loud cheer. Sabo has reached the table already and has stopped moving. He knows that man. He's the swordsman for-

"Food!" He's cut off once again as the person on the end of the bench closest to him cheers. Sabo's frozen as he watches a very familiar boy wearing a Strawhat turns to face him, another shout on his lips. One that quickly dies out as he finally notices Sabo. His open mouth drifts closed and his brow furrows, a look of distress sliding over his features. Whether from recognition or just simply having to think hard about it was anyone's guess. A heartbeat passes and no one moves, the crew picking up on the change in their captain's mood.

"Luffy what-" A long nosed man- the crews sniper he thinks- starts to speak up but is immediately shushed by a harsh look from the swordsman. Another moment passes. He swallows stiffly and doesn't move under the scrutinizing gaze of brown eyes on him. Eyes that slowly widen as his identity clicks in his mind.

"...Sabo?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It's been awhile since their waiter took their orders, and the Strawhats were starting to get antsy. The volume level was steadily rising, which would have annoyed Zoro, were it not for the fact that he was one of the main causes.

"Breathe in my direction again and I will end you."

"..."

"I felt that! Get over here damn it so I can pound your face in."

"Try it Shit cook."

And on and on. Zoro's fight with Sanji starts to pick up steam and he finds himself butting heads with an enraged Sanji, oblivious to his invasion of both Chopper and Robin's personal space.

The argument steadily increases in violence until Robin decided that she's had enough and ends their squabble with a sharp shove from the heel of her palms into their chins, snapping their heads back with disembodied arms. Luffy lets out a loud laugh at the display that has Nami grabbing his arm and shaking him lightly as she begs him to quiet down. (They were definitely starting to draw the eyes of other patrons. Though most seemed to recognize that they were pirates and tried to avoid outright staring).

Cracking his neck, Zoro frowns. He looks back at Sanji, who is talking to Nami while absently patting at the front of his suit jacket.

"Oi dartboard, if you light up in here I'm tossing you out the window."

At the statement Sanji starts slightly, as if he hadn't realized he was itching for a smoke. Then he rolls his eyes and waves a dismissive hand at Zoro.

"As if I would in this packed space you idiot. I'm not a wild animal that only follows his instincts like you."

His biting reply is cut off by a quiet crack of knuckles from Robin. She doesn't look at either of them, but the unmoving smile on her face and the crossed position of her hands in her lap indicate that Robin too was starting to get annoyed and the threat of another hit was impending.

Both Zoro and Sanji pale at the silent threat.

Knowing when he's beaten, Zoro huffs and turns to face straight ahead. In doing so he catches sight of a waiter making his way towards them, hands full of two trays stacked with food. He doesn't notice the way the man's eyes trace his face and seconds later fill with recognition.

"Oi," he calls to the rest of the table, which quiets at his voice. Luffy's practically vibrating in his seat. "Food's here."

Sanji gives a quick, "It's about damn time." And it's almost drowned out by the immediate cheering from others at the table that follows.

The waiter moves closer, stopping at the end of the table. He doesn't make a move to give any of them their meals. Noticing his lack of movement, Zoro frowns. The blonde waiter's eyes are locked on Luffy, and it almost looks like he's steadily growing paler. Following the man's gaze he watches Luffy, who bounces in his seat yelling something, before he turns to receive his food.

Zoro watches as Luffy's eyes alight on the food, and his mouth opens to cheer again, before his eyes shift up and focus on the waiter's face. Suddenly Luffy's grin is frozen and he's unmoving, the waiter similarly immobile. Something is happening here that Zoro hasn't caught on to. He's so focused on the exchange that he barely notices as the rest of the Strawhats catch on to the abrupt tension at the end of the table. It's quieter now than it has been the entire time they've been at the restaurant. Usopp is the first to vocalize his confusion.

"Luffy," he begins tentatively. "What-"

Whatever else he was going to say is immediately cut off by a harsh glare from Zoro in his direction. He tries to convey everything he's feeling about the situation along with the warning.

_I don't know what's happening either, _the look says. _But it's important and we need to stay out of it._

At a loss, the Strawhats collectively watch as Luffy scrutinizes the man. His eyebrows furrow and his smile drops in exchange for a deep frown. An expression that immediately has the crew on the edge of their seats.

He looks the waiter up and down once more, the man still frozen in place, looking just as distressed as Luffy. Brown eyes meet blue. Luffy inhales sharply, shoulders rising and he seems to almost fold in on himself. There's a soft, quick exhale and,

"...Sabo?"

The waiter moves then, shoulders falling abruptly and he smiles weakly.

"Surprise…?"

And suddenly there's a million emotions flitting across Luffy's face, to the point where it becomes unreadable besides just plain _shock._ He's breathing hard now, chest rapidly expanding as Luffy's eyes stay locked on the man in front of him.

".._.Sabo_?" His voice is cracking, desperate as he asks the name again. It's so broken, so intimate that as Zoro watches the exchange he almost feels as though he shouldn't be. Increasing the strawhats' anxiety Luffy slides back in the booth a couple inches.

The shaky smile slips off the waiter's face and there's a pause, before he nods jerkily. Then he does something unexpected. He takes a small step back from the table, putting the trays down at a vacant nearby table, and bows slightly, miming lifting a hat off of his head and sweeping it in front of him.

At the motion something in Luffy's face _breaks_. His face crumples and immediately there are tears in his eyes. All eyes at the table are on their captain as he lets out a broken sob. The crew is frozen at such a blatant expression of pure grief that overwhelms his face. Even Zoro is stuck in place, wondering what, or who, on Earth could pull such emotions out of his captain. For once in his life, unsure of the feelings raging on Luffy's face, he sets a hand on Wado Ichimonji. This situation is unfamiliar, it's uncomfortable. Zoro has no clue what's going on, who that man is, or what he means to Luffy. With no knowledge of the predicament he can't gage what action needs to be taken, but he knows that if this in any way puts Luffy in danger, he'll be ready.

So he watches silently as tears roll down Luffy's face and the waiters arms extend slowly, shakily, as though he's unsure of himself. He watches as his captain's eyes squint shut and he launches himself at the blonde, nearly tipping them both over with the force.

Zoro stand up quickly, reluctant to leave him so close to a stranger despite Luffy's clear recognition of the man. The others begin to stand up too, only to freeze once again as Luffy's sobs grow in volume to become more familiar. They relax minutely as his cries shift from heartbroken to full of relief, the same ones they heard when Usopp returned to them at Water 7.

"Sabo!" he screams, arms winding around 'Sabo' multiple times. His entire torso covers Sabo's face and he struggles to pull away from the rubber man so he can breathe. The blonde's head finally escapes Luffy's embrace and he takes a desperate breath of air.

His face melts into a smile as he unwraps Luffy's arms and lowers him to the ground, all the while not letting him go. Sabo turns to the crew, still embracing Luffy, who looks like he's attached to his torso with how many times his appendages were wound around him.

"Come on Lu, your crew are barely controlling themselves." He punctuates this statement with a light nudge to his shoulders, making it so that their captain faced them.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Zoro decides to take the initiative.

"So," He starts, when his voice can be heard over Luffy's sniffles. "Who.." Zoro pauses unsure of how to continue. He gestures to Sabo there, knowing they get the gist of his question without him really needing to vocalize it. At his inquiry Sabo smiles wider-if that's possible-and looks down to Luffy, who grins impossibly wide and announces,

"He's my brother!"

…

There's absolute silence at the table as shock spreads through each of the pirates. They're frozen until-no one later will quite remember who- someone drops a glass and with the sounds of shattering glass the trance breaks.

"Brother!?"

"Another one!"

"Oh my..."

"Luffy, you…"

Among the crews outbursts Luffy just laughs. His tears are gone now and his arm is stretching around Sabo's shoulders. Sabo smiles softly at his younger brother and addresses the surprised strawhats.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Sabo and I'm Luffy's older brother." He gives a small bow so he doesn't dislodge Luffy's arm from where it's made its home on his shoulders.

"Thank you for putting up with him." This earns him various vacant replies of 'No not at all' and 'it's nothing'.

Zoro observes the pair of siblings as everyone recovers from the abrupt news. Luffy and Sabo don't look that much alike; Sabo's blonde haired, blue eyed, and has a fairly light complexion, while Luffy has black hair, dark eyes, and far darker skin. From Ace and Luffy's relationship he can assume then that these two aren't blood related either, but he can feel the closeness between them. As they stand together smiling, Zoro sees how Luffy never once stops touching Sabo, and how when Sabo looks at Luffy, his gaze lingers longer each time. The pair moves in tandem, when one shifts the other follows, each adjusting to each others presence and movements. What really draws his attention though is Luffy's quick glances at the blonde next to him. Every time it's a slight glance out of the corner of his eye, as though he's assuring himself that his brother really was there beside him. This draws his attention past the relation revelation and back to their reunion. Which has him frowning. Why would Luffy be so shell shocked seeing his brother here? Why would Sabo be so terrified to see Luffy? Something about this was off.

He clears his throat. The noise itself isn't that loud, but it's a commanding noise that catches Luffy's attention. The rubber man turns to him.

"What is it Zoro?" This redirects the focus of the conversation, corralling it from multiple shocked sentences between one another, to one, solid, group conversation.

"Earlier when you saw each other… What was with that reaction? You both look like you had seen a ghost."

At that Sabo grimaces and Luffy's bright grin slips a fraction.

"Ah, well…" Sabo begins, clearly unsure of how to begin whatever he was going to say. Before he gets a chance, however, Luffy cuts in.

"Because technically I did." He giggles and looks at Sabo. "Sabo was a ghost!" Noting the exasperated look on Sabo's face and recalling their past experiences with Luffy's odd personality, they decide to not take him to literally. Instead they return their focus to the elder brother. Who proceeds to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, I suppose to him… to Luffy I guess it was like he'd seen a ghost." Sensing the weight of the incoming story, Zoro gestures to the pirates to take a seat. Luffy all but drags Sabo into the booth next to him, forcing Nami to move over with an impatient hand motion.

When everyone is decidedly comfortable, Sabo begins to speak.

"When I was younger, about 12 years ago, I was involved in an accident." He brings a hand up to the burn scar on his face, which causes Luffy to frown at him.

"It pretty violent. I… Luffy and Ace thought I didn't survive."

Ah. That explains it. Luffy for all these years had thought that he was dead. Had believed that both of his brothers had died and left him behind, left him alone. That's why Luffy was so distressed when Sabo had first appeared. He was seeing his dead brother in some random waiter in some random restaurant. The thought causes more than one strawhat to glance at their captain sadly. Luffy presses a little closer to Sabo's side.

"Wait a moment," All heads turn towards Robin, who spoke up with a small frown on her face. "If you had survived the accident, why wouldn't you try to reconnect with your brothers?"

Sabo's face darkens even more, anger briefly flitting across it.

"The accident was… traumatic, I lost all of my memories up until that point." Another round of shock passes through the table.

"Amnesia?" Chopper exclaims. "It had to have been a very serious injury to have impaired your memory all these years." Everyone pauses as a realization from Chopper's statement hits them.

"You did have Amnesia until recently… right?" Nami asks him tentatively. His response is given in the form of a sharp nod.

"So how did you get it back?"

Sabo's expression becomes grave, anger and sorrow alighting in his eyes as well as a guilt that many of the strawhats recognize after they had seen it every time they looked in the mirror for two years. "I got all of my memories back two years ago." His expression grows even more pained. He takes a slow shaky breath and Luffy gives his arm a squeeze. The crew watches with baited breath as he prepares himself to speak.

"I got them back when I read the newspaper, two years ago, and learned that my brother died in the war."


End file.
